A clear proven track record in the real world

Campaigns

My ‘Charter for bullied school children’

There are at least 16,000 children between the ages of 11 and 15 missing education in England because they have been severely bullied. They deserve justice. James is pictured with Dr Carrie Herbert MBE, Founder and President of the Red Balloon Learner Centre Group. Already the campaign has drawn widespread praise and was featured on the influential blog page ‘Conservative Home’. A much more detailed article can be found; www.jameshockney.com/my-charter-for-bullied-school-children/

The campaign has a six-point Charter:

(1) Special educational needs status should be granted to severely bullied children too traumatised to attend school.

(2) Training for school staff and whole school programmes to tackle bullying.

(3) The educational needs of self-excluding bullied children must be met.

(4) Alternative provision must be monitored.

(5) Each LA and school must make it clear to parents/carers how the education of children self-excluding from school due to bullying is to be funded.

(6) The DfE needs to state its policy on distance learning.

Making these changes would go a long way towards helping and supporting the victims of bullying.

Saving a rare and unique listed Tudor Tithe Barn building

Tithe Barn’s are rare in the UK – at least 90% have of them have been converted. It is thought at most 190 remain. The Landbeach one is the only example left in the whole of Cambridgeshire and is known to be unique with still having its original floor in place.

James successfully saved the Tithe Barn from residential conversion by founding a Trust to maintain and restore the rare building. This included; Chaired four Working Group meetings as a precursor to a Trust, Chaired multi-agency meeting, attending District Council meetings, significant behind the scenes work, starting’Friends of Landbeach Tithe Barn’ facebook page, secured media coverage and articles in local publications.

We will secure the long term future of this wonderful Tudor building for future generations.

‘Local Connection’ housing campaign

James campaigns for what is known as ‘local connection housing’. This includes having written about the issue on the ‘Conservative Home’ website and serving on the board of a social housing provider.

Schemes like this mean those on the Council Housing waiting list that have village connection are pushed to the front of the queue.

To date he has delivered on bringing forward two schemes. In 2011 Walnut Close in Landbeach – came forward. The scheme was such a success that a case study was produced on the development. (James is pictured at ceremony to lay the ‘golden brick’).

He followed this up in 2014 with Waterbeach securing the 1st Local Connection housing scheme. An opportunity arouse from the empty homes on Park Crescent that are owned by the MoD. James made contact with both the MoD and local council led to a lease agreement. Many people have now realised the dream of having a home in the village. One lady had been on the housing waiting list for eight years. Pictured above with Lucy Frazer MP and local resident.